Thursday, September 15, 2011

Anyone aware of the history of photography doesn't have to be told how far we have come. From the "Camera Obscura" to film and now digital, it has provided a steady growth of expression with newer techniques and tools pregress. For those who pursue its medium a new forms of art or looks emerge with every advance .

Across its brief 150 years apprx, it has struggled in its acceptance as art, coming into its own buyer's scene within the last 20 years or so. It became the realm of masters who were capable of handling the equipment along with its technical procedures and could successfully express and produce fine photographic art. For the most part, it took years of experience.The struggle of films,chemistry,and technique kept the masses at a great distance. Enter digital and with it a new door opened allowing new artists who might not have be here had media remained the same. What did remain for a long time however, was the tool.

A new tool is born..the Cell Phone: Tool for the masses..

Unobtrusive, at hand,capable of not only processing an image and tweaking its look, but immediately publishing it from within and on the spot, it gives birth to a whole new world of potential artists, some of which have probably never been photographers before. Every person I know has at some point shown me his "Pocket Images" some good, some bad, all fun but mostly random . In their hands, an instant photographer; In others... an artist's expression, and these are some of what can be done through their eyes and experience taking this new tool to higher level :

Chris Hudson an award-winning Art Director and Creative Director at advertising agencies in London and New York, is a member of the Royal Photographic Society and London Independent Photography.
With his keen eye for color, he finds new freedom with his cell phone and some of the apps that can be had. Here is the Hipstamatic app. This from a flower series is part of his current book project.

While in Iceland, he was so impressed by the quality of the phones ability to produce a quality image that he shot half of his trip with his iPhone.

Experiencing the same in my last travel, my assortment of lenses remained in my bag. The freedom and fun of my phone allowed me to see subjects in a whole new light, a different approached unencumbered by multi-equipment decisions and with no one to be suspicious of who I was and what was my motive, I was free.

Apps allowed processing after capture and adding a frame, to re-interpret scenes with a different light. This famous New York icon takes on a different look than its predecessor one hundred years later.

Imagery while waiting for lunch and published before it comes opens a whole new world with its a very addictive visual fever. More than just a sketch book, it becomes a final product.

But we are not just one brand of tool as it is really the person behind them that matters most. In capable hands this new tool, like discovering something other than a paintbrush, creates a whole new way of painting. Donna Callighanhas been a successful professional photographer for over twenty years. Her approach in this new form is rather than use an in phone app, she processes her "cellimages" in Photoshop with her unique style.

This is part one of of this series of Phoneography. If you wish to contribute images for review, contact me through my profile...My thanks to both Chris and Donna for their contribution.